The Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA) and the consulting firm ICF have signed an agreement to develop a roadmap that charts the path toward reducing emissions in aviation in the region. This effort responds to a key reality: Latin America and the Caribbean will not be able to achieve global decarbonization goals with the same strategies applied in other parts of the world. The region requires its own approach, adapted to its operational, economic and regulatory characteristics, to ensure that sustainability, connectivity and access to air transport advance hand in hand.
"Continuing on our path to supporting and accompanying the efforts of the airline sector on its path towards sustainability, at ICF we are delighted to be able to build, together with ALTA, a regional perspective on the ambitious decarbonisation goals to which airlines have committed," says Dan Galpin, Director of Aviation, Travel and Tourism at ICF.
The study will analyse policies and scenarios in 11 strategic countries (Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Panama, Bahamas, Argentina, El Salvador, Dominican Republic), and will define goals and implementation plans, with a presentation of progress at the 42nd ICAO Assembly and final delivery scheduled for COP30. "Aviation in the region is taking an essential step towards decarbonisation in a realistic, efficient and economically viable way," highlights José Ricardo Botelho, CEO of ALTA.
The initiative will assess regulatory and economic factors, including CORSIA and SAF policies, as well as opportunities for carbon offsetting. Regional integration will be key, strengthening carbon markets and expanding the use of SAF. The study will develop scenarios aligned with ICAO’s Long-Term Aspirational Goal (LTAG), ensuring viable emissions reduction pathways without compromising the competitiveness of the sector.
For Marco Larson, Chairman of the ALTA Sustainability Committee and Sustainability Leader of SKY Airline, reducing aviation emissions in Latin America and the Caribbean requires an approach tailored to the particularities of the region. “The alliance between ALTA and ICF will allow for a comprehensive analysis based on the ICAO LTAG, also considering local economic, regulatory and operational factors. Through coordinated work with the main actors in the sector, the initiative will lay the foundations for the energy transition and will have a real impact on the sustainability of the sector,” he emphasized.
The study will also provide strategic recommendations for public policies and financial incentives, promoting collaboration between governments, regulators and the aviation sector.
Juan Carlos Salazar, Secretary General of ICAO, commented on the initiative. “We value the efforts of different sectors of the industry and of different regions of the world to adapt this global goal to their respective realities, thus achieving concrete progress on the path towards carbon neutrality in aviation. I would like to congratulate ALTA for this initiative and the member airlines of the organization that have decided to carry out a study that will undoubtedly provide key elements for the fulfillment of this objective. In addition, I invite them to have the results of the study validated by the groups of experts who, at a global level, are evaluating the progress of the civil aviation sector towards the goal of zero emissions.”
Details on the project development will be presented at the ALTA Fuel & Sustainability Conference 2025, from March 25 to 27, where scenarios and strategies for reducing emissions will be discussed, with the active participation of the governments of the region.
Source: ALTA.